Up in Flames
by enough-to-let-me-go
Summary: My take on what happened during the final seconds at the terminal and the chaos following after. Episode Tag: 1x14 "Out of the Box."


Neal hesitated.

Peter had to refrain from jumping with joy. He knew he had won. Neal was changing his mind. Neal needed to stay; needed to put his life of crime behind him. He needed Peter more than he ever thought he would, and Peter felt the same.

Before bringing Neal out of prison to work as a consultant, life had been normal, or as normal as could be for an FBI agent. But now, life was exciting and anything but normal.

There were days when Peter had been so angry he had threatened to throw Neal back in prison. Of course, deep down inside, Peter knew that his heart would never allow him to. Caffrey could make him laugh and swell with pride, then cause steam to come rolling out of his ears all in a matter of seconds. But somewhere along the way, the young man had wiggled his way into his heart.

Peter wasn't sure when exactly it had happened. He supposed it had actually been there a long time ago; back in the good old days when he was tracking Neal across the city and sitting outside the near empty apartment, hoping for a glimpse of the criminal. The birthday cards from prison were a welcome surprise, albeit a strange one, but they became something Peter found himself looking forward to each year. Working side-by-side with the young man five days a week was fascinating and had allowed them to form a comfortable friendship. And then there was that day at the Clinic, when Peter had had to rescue a drugged Neal. Neal had admitted that out of all the people in his life, Peter was the only one he trusted. He was drugged out of his mind, but Peter knew he was telling the truth. The vulnerability in Neal's voice at that admittance had pulled at Peter's heart like nothing else. That small moment had taken their friendship to a whole new level.

Then Kate had reappeared and Neal had found himself back under her spell. Peter knew what it was like to be in love; he had Elizabeth. And Peter knew that though Neal was in love with Kate, she was not in love with him. But Neal was so desperate to try anything and everything to win her ultimate love. Anything and everything included the plane that was sitting on the tarmac a few hundred feet in front of him. Kate was inside waiting for Neal, and Peter was trying with everything in him to stop Neal from leaving with her.

And his words had been enough.

Neal stilled his footsteps and turned around.

"Peter—"

Before he could say anything more, there was an explosion.

For a moment, all of time seemed to stand still as Peter watched the raging inferno spread before him. An anguished cry from Neal brought him back to the hellish nightmare that was reality, and he ran. Peter chased after Neal as the young man started for the plane. Peter wanted to yell, but he could find no words.

When he reached him, Peter threw his arms around Neal and all but dragged him to the ground. Neal fought, but Peter tightened his hold and refused to let go. A smaller explosion sent debris and flames shooting their way. Peter buried Neal beneath him and covered them both with his jacket. When he deemed it safe, Peter uncovered them both and sat up. Neal slowly fixed his gaze on the burning plane before them.

Peter could feel his eyes beginning to water. His opinions of Kate were few and far between of anything good, but Peter knew that she was loved by someone and that someone was lying on the tarmac beside him watching the only woman he had ever loved die. Peter shuddered. If that had been El on the plane…

He pulled his horrifying thoughts to a halt and focused back on the young man beside him. Neal was pushing himself onto his knees. Thinking he might run, Peter gripped one of Neal's shoulders and grounded him in place.

But, Neal didn't run. Instead, he collapsed against Peter and finally allowed the tears to overcome him.

Peter said nothing. He couldn't tell Neal that it would be ok because that would be lying, and Peter had promised long ago to never lie to Neal. Peter did _not_ break his promises. Peter rubbed Neal's back in what he hoped was a comforting gesture as the young man grieved.

He pulled his gaze away from the flames as emergency personnel arrived. He hadn't even heard the sirens. He vaguely wondered who had called them. Firefighters, EMTs, and police swarmed the area. Peter sat solidly by Neal's side, refusing to move. He turned his head just enough to see the person who had stopped beside him. It was Clinton. Peter knew Jones had connected the pieces of this horrendous puzzle when they made eye contact. Peter simply nodded his head once and returned his attention to Neal.

Neal had stopped crying now, but he refused to break contact with Peter. Peter thought that his presence may be the only thing anchoring Neal to reality right now. And though reality was unbelievably painful, it was essential and the first step to healing. Nothing could ever be fixed if Neal shut himself away and refused to acknowledge what had happened.

"Are you injured?"

Peter flinched. The EMT had appeared out of nowhere and her voice had startled him. Peter quickly studied Neal and then himself. Other than a few scrapes, they were physically fine.

"Just a few scrapes," Peter finally told her.

"You need to be examined—protocol," she added after receiving a particularly distasteful look from Peter.

Peter gently tugged Neal. The young man hesitated, but when he finally turned to face Peter, the elder man thought he was going to be sick. The anguish and confusion in Neal's eyes was enough to churn his stomach and pull painfully at his heart. With a gentleness he never knew he possessed, Peter gripped Neal's shoulder with one hand and his head with the other.

"Neal, we have to go."

Neal swallowed, took one last look at the wreckage, and nodded his head. Peter took this as permission to help him up. Together, they walked to Peter's car- not saying a word or breaking contact.


End file.
